Grain separator



R. L. OWENS.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.Is, I92I.

Patented July M, 19222a AQQQS,

[lll/lll INSI \l WMOINELNQUNQ 7.

FII;

III" 47 IHHIIIIIIHI FISE lmerrain) L. Owens, oiMrNNnAroLIs, MINNESOTA.

GRAIN l SEPARATOR.

incassa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jaiy ii. ieee.

Original applicationrled December 12, 1917, Serial No. 206,783.V Divided and this application iled November 18, 1921. Serial No. 516,137. i

To allee/71.0072, it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD' L, Owens,

neapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Grain Separators, of which the following is a specification. l

In an application for patent liled by me on December' 12th, 1917, Serial No. 206,783, I have shown and described a grain separator, the primary object of which is to provide means in connection with the upper gang of sieves for removing or separating from the stream of grain the clean wheat or other grain, which has fallen through theupper' portion of the screen, in the upper gang, and directing this clean grain out of the machine at the point where it fallsthrough'the screen.

My present invention is a modification of the principal structure ldisclosed in my lsaid application, and my presentapplication is a division of the application above referred 5to.

In the invention described herein l Vgrovide a single upper gang of sieves, with means for feeding the grain to be cleaned or Aseparated to the upperend of said, gang, theY clean wheat, or other grain,passing directly through the upper portions of the screen and being preferably taken direct-ly out of the machine at the point where it falls through the lowermost screen.

The invention consists generallyin various constructions and combinations all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, j

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine, l V j Figui-e2 is a detailplan of a portion of the lower deck and discharge spout,V

Figure 3 vis a' vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. looking inthe direction of the arrows, j Y

In the drawings, 2 represents the frame of the machine which may beof any suitable size, and is provided with the usual fan 3 within a casing 4t. represents-a shoe in which a series of sieves 6 are mounted. The machine is provided with a hopper 7 into which the grain to be cleaned.; is delivered.

, From the hopper the grain passes through a discharge opening 8,'having a cutoff valve 9 proviy ed with an operating rod 10, and be lowthe opening 8 is achamber 11 in which a feed roll 12 is arranged. Gates 13 are pivotedat 14 and slidably connected at 15 with an operating lever 16, which is pivoted at 17 Vand has adjusting means at 18 for setting the gates 13 in the desired position with respect to the opening 8. These gates are free to rock, but are counterweighted to normally overcome the pressure of the material. In case, however, any foreign article with the grain it will raise the gates and not clog the passage. The chamber 11 is connected through a throat or passage 19 with a .fan 20 within a casing 21, and a valve 22 is provided in the chamber 11, for regulating the width of the passage between the feed roll 12 and the wall of the chamber. .A slide 23 is preferably provided above the fan casing 21, operable by a rod 24, and in the bottom of the passage 19 a screw conveyer 25 is preferably mounted. Beneaththe chamber 11 is a sieve 26 whereon the material from the hopper is delivered, the light refuse or tailingsrpassing down over the sieve through a spout 27, while the grain is delivered upon the sieves of the gang beneath, the delivery being regulated by the gates 13. By the mechanism described provision is made for controlling the strength of the air current through the feed chamber according to the condition and character of the grain to be cleaned.

` I make no claim in this application to the hopper and feedmechanism arranged in connection therewith, as the same has been claimed by me in applications now pending in the United States Patent Oice, No. 208,577, filed December 24th, 1917, and No. 278,446, tiled February 24th, 1919.

The shoe 5 is supported by suitable hangers and is capable of either a sidewise shaking or a longitudinally oscillating movement, or both. These hangers, however, may be of any suitable or preferred construction, and are common to machines of 'this type. 1 have not thought it necessary, therefore, to illustrate the shoe supporting and oscillating means in this application.

The upper end of theshoe 5 is preferably arranged directly below a scalping sieve 26 which intercepts and carries away the straw and other coarse material. A plate or deck 28 beneath the scalping sieve receives the grain falling therethrough. This `deck ex- ,65 of comparatively large size should be mixed tends substantially parallel with the sieve 26, and has the Vfr inction of directing the grain lin a thin Sheet upon the deck 29 beneath. The deck 28 is preferably providednear its lower or discharge end with a depressed, and substantially horizontal portieri 28 from which the grain is fed to the deck of the"sieve'below. The shape of this por-Y tion of the deck tends to slow up the travel of the grain and cause it to flowevenly in a thin sheet onto'the deck 29 of therupper sieve of the shoe 5. A

slie'eti'of material, which may be several `The shoe 5 is provided as hereinbefore stated with a series of sieves 6 arranged to overlap eachother, and each is so `located as tfolca'rry forward the grain received from fthe "sieve next above in lthe gang. Under the upper'part of the lower sieve G ofthis gang'l provide a transverse spout 30 to receiveYV the clean wheat, or other grain, which has fallen'uponthe upper portion ofeach'sieve and has passed through `the meshes thereof, and to conduct such clean vwheat or other grain out of the machine.

The'separation takes placein'thisway: Suppose that a sheet of grain isdelivered to Hthe upper sieve ofthe gang 5, and the wheat kernels, being heavier than the oats, or the weed seeds, andother like refuse material, will naturally work to the' bottom of the inches indepth. It is evident that the kei'- nels at the bottoni of the'sheet on the upper Asievewill pass through the iipperportions Otthe'meShes of that sieve, and then on through the upper portion of ther meshes lofeach following sieve until the bottom of thewgang `is reached, when such clean Y grain will'fall intothespout/B() and be con- Y 40.

ducted out of the machine. Provision thus being` made for removing this mass of clean grain fallingthrough the `upper portion of the sieves of the gang 5, the separation will.

be effected much `quicker' "and the capacity of the machine willbe greatlyincreased.

'frrranged' above the clown-sieve'side of Vtlie'spoiit 30 is a movable decker slide 3l,

prorided with a rack 3Q, engagedby a pinion on a shaft 34. `By rotating the shaft 34 the Vdeck Slniay be moved to cover the spout 30 to a greater or less extent, thei'f'eby regu- V `latingr the'amount of grain that falls Vinto said spout. f

' kTheggraiii-that tails over all of the sieves 'or upon ainovable board or Vslide 43, having a rack 89 and engaged by a pinion 44- -upon a shaft 41;. This board conducts the grain that falls upon it to an oppositelyinfthe sieves',and, dropping-into the-'spout 30,-?"

clined sieve 45, beneath which is a deck 50, that discharges into a spout 5l. The position of the board 43 determines the amount ofgzgrain that-falls upon the deck 36, and hence the amount that goes to the repeat elevator. This board'is, therefore,desig nated as the repeat beard. TJAbove'the screen 45 I lpreferablyarrange ian inclined deck 48 and screen 46. As an obvious modification the repeat board 43 may discharge onto the upper screen 46 instead ofthe lower screen 45. A spout 47 is `provided forreceiving the material that tails over both of the screens-45 and 46 anda-transverse or inclined' cleat or dam 49 (Figure 2)- isA provided at thelower-end ofthe deck 48,- causing the material passing along said deck to be conducted through ducts "49 intoA the spout 4l where it mingleswith the material passingV over the deck 50 (FiguresQ and 3). The screenings from the, separations made by the sieves l45 and 46S-are preferably received and mixed in the spout '51, while-'the clean products from both separati'onsfmade byfsaid screens are preferably received and mixedin the transverse spente-47. p Y

I may provide suitable adjustable supporting means for the spout 30 Aso that the same may be adjusted lengthwise of the shoe 5 as indicated by theV double-pointed .arrow in Figure l, thereby increasing ori decreasing the spacebeneath the upper portion ofthe lower sieve 6 that will be occupied by said spout. f

' When the spout 30 aIldfdeck Slt-are inthe position shown VinFigure,l `the grain passing through theV upper part of the lower sieve Gwill fall directly into Vthe spout 30 and be conductedout of the machine, 'Byfadjiisting the deck 3l towardsthe lower end Aofthe lower screen 6. a space may be left between `the wall of the Vspout 30 and the 'upperedge 'j 55, the latter delivering Vthe materiall to the upper sieve 6 either directly or bymeans of an interposed deck -`*This material is then conducted through or over the si ves 6 for a second separation.

In the operation of the machinetlie llt) ieu

is fed out of the `Vhopper ontothe'sc'alping sieve beneatlnthe straw and coarse material being-removed'by said ,scalping scre'evii,'and

.therpartiallyf screened 'grain allowedjtjo fall f -th'rough `this scalpi'ng sieveA upon the-upper sieve 5 6 of the gang. TheV "heavierkernels, s uch aswheat, workingto the bottom ofthe sieve will'wfall throughthe upper'portiolis of v isoY will be taken out ofthe machine, and further travel of this grain on the sieves will be eliminated. The cleaning of the grain will thereby be hastened and the capacity ofthe machine considerably increased. The remainder of the material will pass down through and over the sieves, the tailings of all the sieves passing to the spout 40, and the repeat elevator receiving and returning to the upper sieve 6, a considerable portion or' the material which has fallen through the lower sieve 6. The linal separation of a portion of the material falling through the lower sieve 6 beyond the spout 30 is made by the screens L15 and 16, mounted in the lower por tion of the machine, and from which the grain may be spouted in a thoroughly separated or cleaned condition.

By adjusting the spout 30 towards thefan sufficiently so that it doesnot receive any grain from the lower sieve 6, or by removing this spout altogether, the grain falling through the upper portion of the lower sieve 6 will be received directly upon the sieve L16 and its deck 46', and the deck 31 and repeat board 43 may then be adjusted so as to conduct a part of the remaining grain falling through the lower sieve 6, to the screen 45, or all of this grain may, by suitable adjustment of said deck and repeat board be conducted to the deck and the repeat spout 42.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a grain cleaning machine, the combination, with a grain delivering hopper, ot a plurality of sieves arranged in an inclined gang, means for delivering the grain in a sheet upon the upper sieve of the gang, and passing through and over the sieves of the gang, an oppositely inclined screen arranged beneath the upper portion of the lower sieve of the gang, an inclined deck arranged beneath the lower portion of said lower sieve, a repeat elevator arranged to receive material from said inclined deck and an adjustable repeat board arranged to selectively divide the material passing through the lower portion ofthe lower sieve of said gang between said repeat spout and the oppositely inclined screen.

2. In a grain cleaning machine, the combination with the grain delivering hopper, of a plurality of sieves arranged in an inclined gang, means for delivering the grain in a sheet upon the upper sieve of the gang, and passing through and over the sieves of the gang, an oppositely inclined screen arranged beneath the upper portion of the lower sieve of the gang, an inclined deck arranged beneath the lower portion of said lower sieve, a fan arranged to discharge into the space between said gang and said oppo sitely inclined screen, a repeat elevator arranged to receive material from said inclined deck, and an adjustable repeat board arranged to selectively divide the material passing through the lower portion of the lower sieve of said gang between said repeat spout and said oppositely inclined screen.

3. In a grain cleaning machine, in combination with the grain delivering hopper, a gang of sieves, means for delivering the grain in a sheet upon the upper sieve of the gang, and passing through and over the sieves of said gang, a quantity of comparatively clean grain passing through the upper portion of each sieve of the gang, a transverse spout mounted beneath the upper portion of the lower sieve of the gang forreceiving such comparatively clean grain and conducting it directly out of the machine and an adjustable deck arranged beneath the lower sieve on the downsieve` side'of said-spout.

4. In a grain cleaning machine, in combination, with the grain delivering hopper, a gang of sieves, means for delivering the grain in a sheet upon the upper sieve of the gang, and passing through and over the sieves of said gang, a quantity of comparatively clean grain passing through the upper portion of each sieve of the gang, means for receiving such comparatively clean grain and conducting it out of the machine, and means for selectively dividing the grain passing through the remaining portion of the lower sieve of the gang and sending a portion thereof to a re-cleaning screen and a portion thereof to a repeat elevator.

5. In a grain cleaning machine, in combination with the grain delivering hopper, a gang ot' sieves, means for delivering the grain in a sheet upon the upper sieve of the gang, and passing through and over the sieves of said gang, a quantity of comparatively clean grain passing through the upper portion of each sieve of the gang, means mounted beneath the upper portion of the lower sieve of the gang for receiving such comparatively clean grain and conducting it directly out of the machine, and means for selectively dividing the grain passing through the remaining portion of the lower sieve of the gang, and sending a portion thereof to a re-cleaning screen, and a portion thereof to a repeat elevator.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16 day of November, 1921.

RICHARD L. UVENS. 

